Cannabis: Will you still be okay long after the high fades away?

Cannabis has become part of modern life for many South Africans, but the conversation often ends when the high does.

As more countries relax laws and attitudes shift, researchers are asking a different question. What happens long after the smoke clears, especially for people who started young?

Medical cannabis has helped some patients manage chronic pain, epilepsy and chemotherapy-related nausea. Yet recreational use has also increased, and evidence suggests the long-term picture is more complex than many advocates claim.

IS CANNABIS AS SAFE AS MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE?

Supporters often point out that cannabis is less addictive than alcohol or opioids, and evidence supports some of those claims. The World Health Organisation estimates that about 9% of users develop dependence, although the risk rises to about 17% for those who begin in adolescence.

Because today’s products often contain higher THC levels than those sold decades ago, health experts remain concerned about regular use regardless of whether it is regulated or not.

The benefits are real for some people, but so are the risks.

Short-term effects can include impaired judgement, slower reaction times and reduced concentration.

Those effects matter on South African roads, where impaired driving remains a major cause of crashes.

CAN CANNABIS AFFECT THE BRAIN YEARS LATER?

New research from the University of Pennsylvania and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has identified another possible link. Scientists studied 79 people across different levels of psychosis risk and found that lower glutamate levels in a key brain region were associated with more severe psychotic symptoms among cannabis users.

The findings do not prove that cannabis causes psychosis, but they strengthen evidence that some people may have greater biological vulnerability.

Large population studies also raise concerns.

A 2026 study involving more than 11 000 young people found that regular teenage users showed slower improvement in memory, attention and thinking skills than non-users.

Because the adolescent brain is still developing, experts advise delaying use for as long as possible.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE HIGH IS GONE?

For many people, nothing dramatic follows occasional use. Yet others describe a different journey.

Monica Romano, a former nurse based in the Pacific Northwest, told the Washington Post that the drug first eased anxiety but later became a crutch. She smoked for nearly two decades after starting at 13. Eventually, she experienced paranoia, repeated chest infections and struggled to quit.

Even after becoming sober, she questioned how much of her anxiety and depression reflected years of relying on cannabis instead of learning healthier coping skills.

Her story does not prove that everyone will share the same outcome because individual responses differ. It does, however, remind us that the discussion should include both benefits and costs.

Cannabis may help some people when used appropriately and under medical guidance, but it is not without risk. The high may last only hours, yet its effects can shape health, choices and wellbeing for years.

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